Man has been reared by his errors: first he never saw himself other than imperfectly, second he attributed to himself imaginary qualities, third he felt himself in a false order of rank with animal and nature, fourth he continually invented new tables of values and for a time took each of them to be eternal and unconditional...If one deducts the effect of these four errors, one has also deducted away humanity, humaneness, and 'human dignity'.

Summary

This quote highlights the idea that humanity has evolved and developed through its mistakes and misconceptions. The author argues that four major errors shaped our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world. Firstly, humans have always seen themselves as flawed or imperfect beings. Secondly, they have assigned themselves imagined qualities that may not reflect reality. Thirdly, they have placed themselves in an artificial hierarchy above animals and nature. Finally, humans have continuously created subjective systems of values, mistakenly perceiving them as absolute and timeless. The quote suggests that without these errors, humanity would lose its unique essence and lose touch with its compassionate, dignified nature.

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